Widespread shock at death of Stephen Gargan, community activist.

An outpouring of shock and sadness in the city has greeted the news of the sudden death of Bloody Sunday activist and filmmaker, Stephen Gargan.

Stephen, who died on Sunday afternoon, is currently being waked at his home at 7, Jacqueline Way in Derry. His remains will leave Jacqueline Way at 8.30am on Thursday, going to St Columb’s Hall (Orchard Street Entrance) fat 9am to celebrate Stephen’s life. His funeral cortege will leave St. Columbs’s Hall at 10am for burial to take place at 2pm in Newland’s Cross Cemetery, Dubin. 

Stephen will be sadly missed by his partner Desiree. Devoted son to his late mum and dad, Rita and Stephen of Ballyfermot, Dublin. Beloved father of Triona and Darragh. Devoted grandfather to Caoimhe and Róisín. A much loved brother of Marie, Linda and Brenda. Dearest former partner of Alison. Deeply regretted and sadly missed by all of his wider family circle, friends and neighbours.

Many tributes have been paid to the popular Dublin man from friends, comrades and the many community organisations with which he worked.

Derry City and Strabane District councillor, Paul Gallagher (Independent) said: “The world is much worse off at the sad passing of Stephen Gargan. A man behind the scenes that got things done.”

Cllr Gallagher said: "Stephen managed the delivery of the ‘epilogues’ Workshop Education Programme. Coming from a community development background in Dublin, a concern for justice issues in the North combined with an interest in literature and film and an acute awareness that working class communities are in the main excluded from those tools of expression, provoked a move to Derry in 1990.

"He quickly became active in the community education sector. Working freelance, he was a founder member of both 20/20 Vision, a cultural education project and the Gasyard Wall Féile, a radical and outward looking community festival based in Derry’s Bogside. Stephen co-ordinated the festival in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and was also Director of Publicity for the Foyle Film Festival in 1996. 

"For 19 years, Stephen was a member of the Bloody Sunday Organising Committee, which co-ordinated a series of educational events around the anniversary of Bloody Sunday on the themes of Justice and Human Rights. He was also instrumental in initiating a number of other community education projects which included: The Powerhouse, a multimedia project designed to bring the technology of expression to disaffected young people and Bluebell Arts, a multi-disciplinary arts project based in Derry’s Bogside.

"Stephen was a co-founder and director of Gaslight Productions and co-developed the ‘epilogues’ Workshop Education Programme with Jim Keys. He was also co-producer on Gaslight’s first project, the drama-documentary film ‘SUNDAY’ (about the events of Bloody Sunday)."

Posting a beautiful, heartfelt online tribute to his friend, Jim Keys said of Stephen, ‘His rudder was justice and his quest was for the truth, warts and all’.

Jim said: “This is my favourite photo of this dear, dear friend and comrade Stephen Gargan.  He is gone … I carry him in my heart now, and encourage those who loved him to do the same.  What comes from that will be his afterlife.  I had the honour of working in partnership with him for some 33 years.   The power of that choosing only revealed in his passing.  He is my brother.   

“Four powerful projects co-created: 

1 SUNDAY for Channel 4 Television,

2 Epilogues, a multimedia Workshop Education Project for adults living here on the conflict in and about 'Northern Ireland',

3 Justus Project, a multimedia Workshop Education Project for young people exploring their understanding of the conflict and its legacy as well as their attitudes to sexual orientation and folk who come here from other countries.

4 And along with Kate Nash, Linda Nash, Helen Deery, Betty Doherty, Bernadette McAliskey, Jim Collins, Liam Wray, John Black, Jim Doherty, Eamonn McCann and George Row: The Bloody Sunday March Committee. 

Bloody Sunday family member, Kate Nash, said: “I am saddened and shocked at the sudden death of our dear friend and colleague Stephen Gargan who worked with us on the Bloody Sunday March Committee … I can’t express how sorry we are to his Family and friends . Will always miss Stephen.”

Northern Ireland Rural Women's Network (NIRWN) said it was "shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Stephen Gargan from Gaslight Media Trust. 

Stephen worked with us and our members on the ‘Epilogues’ programme.  We were recently working with him to plan a new programme for rural women in the next few weeks. 

The Board and Staff of NIRWN would like to extend our sympathy to Stephen’s family and colleagues.

Pol McCartney said in his online tribute: "Genuinely shocked and saddened to hear last night of the sudden passing of Stephen Gargan yesterday.

"We all know locally of his hard work and commitment to the search for justice for the Bloody Sunday families, part of the that being his role as co-producer on the film 'Sunday'.

"Stephen was a dedicated activist in the true sense of the word, in regard to many causes and struggles, close to home and globally. There was nothing flash or phoney as he went about this, he just got on with it.

"He was passionate about film, literature and music as well, and very much involved as an events organizer in the Gasyard Feile since it's inception over 30 years ago.

"A humble, unassuming, and thoughtful guy, who just wanted the whole of Ireland to be a better place for everyone.

"Thoughts with all of his people in Dublin, Derry, and beyond this Monday morning. Journey on He."

Tony Doherty, chairperson of the Bloody Sunday Trust said: “It is with great regret that we have learned of the death of Stephen Gargan who played a key role with the Bloody Sunday families over the years and helped reinvigorate the Bloody Sunday March from the early 90s onwards. Stephen also helped create public support for the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign and the Pat Finucane Centre. Our sincere sympathy to his friends and family circle.” 

The Community Relations Forum said: "Our friend Stephen Gargan died yesterday. Stephen and Jim brought us Epilogues, a wonderful programme about the conflict here in N. Ireland.

"Stephen was the Yin to Jim's Yang at sessions. A wonderful human being and will be very much missed. Epilogues preparation sessions were enlightening with Stephen making sure money was spent within budget and trying to keep us all on the right road.

Sleep peacefully my friend."